Café unter den Linden

As the name implies, this laid-back locale is more café than restaurant, but it wins a place on the list as a Schanzenviertel staple since the early ‘80s, when the now heavily gentrified neighborhood still retained true counter-cultural credentials. It’s a great place to stop by while exploring the neighborhood, with a classic run in continental breakfast platters, a small selection of soups at lunchtime and an impressive vitrine of Kuchen. The coffee is old-school rather than third wave, the leather banquettes are faded, and service is strikingly hit or miss, but if you’re out for a classic German café with patina charm and an excellent stock of international papers, this is your place. Ask for the Apple Strudel — it may not be on display in the vitrine but it’s available every day. On sunny mornings, the terrace is lovely.